Implantable medical devices, referred to as implantable cardioverter defibrillators or ICDs, are capable of automatically detecting arrhythmias, such as ventricular tachycardia (VT) and ventricular fibrillation (VF), and delivering anti-arrhythmia therapies. Delivering anti-tachycardia pacing therapies or high-energy shock therapies may terminate VT and VF. Ventricular tachycardia termination is typically referred to as “cardioversion.” Ventricular fibrillation termination is typically referred to as “defibrillation.”
Nearly all of detected arrhythmias appropriately treated by an ICD do not result in death. However, some patients with ICDs do experience fatal arrhythmias. Compromised hemodynamic output during a VT or VF episode can render a patient unconscious resulting in related serious injuries or death. Patients may experience recurrent VT or VF and be subjected to repeated shock therapies, which cause great discomfort. Because of the serious consequences, it is desirable to predict the occurrence of VT and VF so that an ICD can be prepared to immediately deliver a therapy or take preventive measures to prevent the occurrence. Prediction of an imminent VT or VF episode also enables preventive medical treatments to be delivered.
A number of parameters for predicting a discreet VT or VF episode have been proposed including, for example, left ventricular dysfunction, myocardial ischemia, frequency of ventricular ectopic beats, heart rate variability, heart rate turbulence, or other electrocardiographic changes (see Shusterman et al., J Am Coil Cardiol. 1998;32:1891-9, and Schmidt et al., Lancet. 1999;353:1390-96). Changes in the autonomic nervous system are known contributing factors to arrhythmogenesis. The heart rate is normally regulated by a balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic (vagal) components of the autonomic nervous system. Increased sympathetic activity, referred to as sympathetic tone, increases the heart rate and decreases heart rate variability. Increased vagal tone decreases the heart rate and increases heart rate variability. Heart rate variability (HRV) is the variation in consecutive heart rate cycles, which may be measured as ventricular cycle intervals, known as “R-R intervals,” or as atrial cycle intervals, known as “A-A intervals.” Changes in autonomic tone, especially in conjunction with myocardial ischemia, however, can play an important role in the development of arrhythmias. Therefore, indicators of changes in autonomic tone may be useful in predicting arrhythmias. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,497 issued to Shapland.
Some patients experience recurring VT or VF episodes. Based on the ICD database, a majority of VTNF episodes occur in forms of “electrical storms” or “clustering” that is defined as a rate of 3 or more VTNF episodes within a 24-hour period (see Groenefeld et al., European Heart Journal. 2000;21(suppl):199, and Zhou et al., J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 2002;39(suppl. A):86A-87A). Patients who experience electrical storms are at greater risk for subsequent death than patients who experience discreet episodes of VT or VF. Electrical storms are estimated to occur in approximately 10 to 30% of patients having ICDs. (See Bansch et al., J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., 2000;36:566-73, and Exner et al., Circulation., 2001; 103:2066-2071.)